Page 19 - september-23

10 Vintage Toys Worth Money
By Greg Beyer for The Collector

n the 20th and early 21st centuries, mass-produced franchises of
toys have shaped the childhoods of people the world over. From
ILEGO® to fidget spinners, children have been writing to Santa to
send them the latest and most popular toys. As the toys lose popularity,
their production runs stop which sets up, for decades later, a vibrant scene
of buying and selling these icons of past childhoods. The nostalgia they
bring has added to their value, and today, many of our vintage toys can
be worth thousands of dollars. Here are ten examples of vintage toys
worth a lot of money. If you find them in the attic, don’t throw them out!
1. Star Wars Action Figures - Star Wars action figures are among
the most valuable vintage toys ever made. In 1977, the Star Wars
franchise exploded into the public scene, creating a huge fan base
overnight. Along with the movie came action figures. As with all
action figures the value increases significantly if the toy is still in its
unopened original packaging.
2. Where the Wild Things Are (1963) – Some children’s picture
books are worth a small fortune, especially first-edition copies in
mint condition. In 2012, AbeBooks sold a first-edition copy of Where
the Wild Things Are (1963) by Maurice Sendak for $25,000, making it
the priciest book that AbeBooks has ever sold.
3. Pokémon Trading Cards – Created in 1966, these trading cards
from the popular franchise became an instant success. Cards in mint
condition (as card collectors know to keep them) can be worth an
incredible amount of money. The Japanese version holographic
Pikachu illustrator card is one such card. Printed in 1998, only 39
were ever produced. In 2022, one of these cards sold for $900,000.
4. Barbie – The figurehead brand of Mattel, Barbie has been a toy
influencing childhood for more than six decades. As far as vintage toys
go, Barbie dolls are one of the most valuable. Barbies from 1959
through the 1960s can easily be worth $5,000 to $10,000 each.
5. My Little Pony – Launched in the 1980s by the Hasbro toy
company, they are highly collectible and people are willing to pay a
fair amount of money for them. Mimic the Twinkle Eye Unicorn
and mail-order ponies, which you could send off with the proof of
purchase of other ponies, are among the most valuable.
6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – In the late 80s and 90s, the Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtle craze was in full swing. The comic books spawned a
hit TV show, and along with it came a plethora of merchandise. The
creators of the toys went through so many iterations of the same characters
that many versions are extremely rare and worth a lot of money.
7. Masters of the Universe – With a wide range of action figures
accompanying the TV series, some of these vintage toys are
worth many thousands today. Most of the figurines were
produced in Taiwan and Malaysia. But if you've got a He-Man
made in Argentina, it could be worth considerably more.
8. Beanie Babies – Large Wallace, along with his squad of four
regular-sized Beanie Babies, are the most valuable Beanie Babies in a
set, worth around $680,000, but there are many other versions of these
vintage toys worth several thousands of dollars.
9. Tipp & Co. Mickey Mouse Motorcycle – Invented in
1928, Mickey Mouse has brought us millions of tons of
merchandise over the decades. Some of the older vintage
toys are worth many tens of thousands of dollars. The Tipp
& Co. Mickey Mouse tin motorcycle from 1930 was
manufactured in Germany for the UK market. In 2022, one
of these vintage toys sold for $222,000 after a bidding war at the auction
of former New York gallerist Monique Knowlton’s antique toy
collection. Only 18 are known to exist, so if you find one, you’re really
in luck.
10. Hot Wheels – Hot Wheels cars have been screaming across the
floors of our homes for many decades. Some of these vintage toys are
extremely rare. One rare Hot Wheels car is the 1969 Pink VW Beach
Bomb. It’s so rare, in fact, that only two are known to exist. The
prototype is owned by Bruce Pascal, who paid “in the
region of the asking price of $72,000.” The value
of these pink microbuses could easily be upward
of $150,000.

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